Re: Easy To Beat Up On Public Schools

[Guest guest]

Hi . You make an important point. Without involvement by families,

schools have no incentive to change what they are doing. It's critical

that we keep pressure on school districts (1) to develop programs that

make a difference and (2) to provide the resources to make sure our

kids' IEP goals are being met.

That said, we pulled our child out of public school last week. My

husband and I have been extremely involved in effecting change in our

school district, but honestly, it takes a TON of effort, work, and time.

Our little guy is growing up fast, and pretty soon he's going to be

heading to elementary school. We don't have the TIME to wait for our

school district to get its act together. We need to make sure he is

getting effective early intervention right now.

In the meanwhile, we are paying through the nose for a private ABA-based

school. We could certainly help push our district towards developing

ABA-based programs by going to due-process to seek reimbursement for the

private program, but Texas hearing officers have tended to rule

conservatively on these cases. The cost of going to due process without

a fairly strong assurance of success makes it difficult for families to

be able to exert that type of pressure on their school districts. Texas

is far behind other states in programming for ASD kids. There's

certainly room for improvement at the state level, and we need to work

at that level, as well in our individual schools, to bring up the

quality of services for kids with autism across the state.

Geraldine

Re: Easy To Beat Up On Public Schools

Nothing is going to improve until all of us realize the change starts

with

US. Ask yourself what I can do to improve the public schools. Not

what they

need, or the State should do. What does and need to do.

Until

you can answer that question, do not expect anything to improve.

Stopping the

conversation is not going to resolve it either.

[Guest guest]

Hi . You make an important point. Without involvement by families,

schools have no incentive to change what they are doing. It's critical

that we keep pressure on school districts (1) to develop programs that

make a difference and (2) to provide the resources to make sure our

kids' IEP goals are being met.

That said, we pulled our child out of public school last week. My

husband and I have been extremely involved in effecting change in our

school district, but honestly, it takes a TON of effort, work, and time.

Our little guy is growing up fast, and pretty soon he's going to be

heading to elementary school. We don't have the TIME to wait for our

school district to get its act together. We need to make sure he is

getting effective early intervention right now.

In the meanwhile, we are paying through the nose for a private ABA-based

school. We could certainly help push our district towards developing

ABA-based programs by going to due-process to seek reimbursement for the

private program, but Texas hearing officers have tended to rule

conservatively on these cases. The cost of going to due process without

a fairly strong assurance of success makes it difficult for families to

be able to exert that type of pressure on their school districts. Texas

is far behind other states in programming for ASD kids. There's

certainly room for improvement at the state level, and we need to work

at that level, as well in our individual schools, to bring up the

quality of services for kids with autism across the state.

Geraldine

Re: Easy To Beat Up On Public Schools

Nothing is going to improve until all of us realize the change starts

with

US. Ask yourself what I can do to improve the public schools. Not

what they

need, or the State should do. What does and need to do.

Until

you can answer that question, do not expect anything to improve.

Stopping the

conversation is not going to resolve it either.

[Guest guest]

J. Reirdon

You are great! I love the sarcasm. Don't think you can ever change my mind

about Texas schools. My experience has been too long in the court battles

as well as daily battles.

You are a trooper.

I am already fixed though

( there are 2 of us you know)

Re: Easy To Beat Up On Public Schools

Nothing is going to improve until all of us realize the change starts with

US. Ask yourself what I can do to improve the public schools. Not

what they

need, or the State should do. What does and need to do. Until

you can answer that question, do not expect anything to improve. Stopping

the

conversation is not going to resolve it either.

Unlocking Autism

www.UnlockingAutism.org

Autism-Awareness-Action

Worldwide internet group for parents who have a

child with AUTISM.

SeekingJoyinDisability - Prayer support for those touched by Disability:

SeekingJoyinDisability/

[Guest guest]

Mr. Reirdon,

Personally, I'd love to hear your opinions on what parents can do to

help those teachers that care about our kids. Is there something we

should be advocating for on a state or national level?

Feel free to write me off list if you think it will cause problems.

Thanks!

Tonya Hettler

thettler@...

Cell 806-544-0347

TX Federation of Families, training specialist

http://www.txffcmh.org

Unlocking Autism, TX Rep

http://www.unlockingautism.org

West Texas Information Network, Owner

w-i-n

-----Original Message-----

From: Reirdon, J. [mailto:jreirdon@...]

As for your challenge, I have 6 years of experience, (12 months a year)

in

the classroom as a teacher; My wife has 9 years experience as an

elementary

teacher. So we have walked in the shoes of BOTH sides. And I recognize

that there are SOME good, caring teachers and administrators in Texas

that

are hamstrung by the system they work in. Do not infer from this post

that

I am saying ALL teachers, or administrators are lousy or lazy. But most

posts I read where people are " ...beating up on public schools... " as

you

say, ... people are beating up the SCHOOLS and the SYSTEM, not so often

or

as much against the teachers themselves. Your attempt at defending the

SYSTEM with reference to the " archetypal " teacher that pays for school

supplies for her students, ... is a cheap rhetorical device to support

your

argument. But it is irrelevant to whether the school systems in Texas

are

meeting the needs of kids with Autism and other disabilities.

[Guest guest]

Mr. Reirdon,

First I want to clarify a few thing. I am a grandmother and this is

my second time through the district and things are worse and not

better. I have been more than fair in trying to work with the

district. They have names of people in our area that come in and

train personnel for nothing in ABA. They have had three chances to

learn and to help not only my child but other children also and they

choose to ignore and take the easy way out instead of trying to

educate our children. They are even lousy baby sitters as they highly

reinforce self abusive behaviors and I do have a video as proof of

this. When my sons were in school a principal explained things to me

quite simply, the district is afraid of the parents, and the parents

are afraid of the kids and the kids are running the schools. This was

over 20 years ago and things have not changed.

I had a meeting with the special ed director last Friday and she

wanted to know what they had to do to get my child back in school and

I told her: " He has to be in a structered classroom with his own

workstation. A classroom of like peers. Teacher and pesonal aid that

are well versed in ABA and know how to deal with negative behaviors

and redirect. " This will happen when pigs and donkeys fly.

I volunteered in the schools and spent many hours helping teachers

when my boys were in school and now I am doing what I should have

done with them. I have my child at home so he can learn. He is my

child. His mother has abandoned him as she might run into him at

the other child's birthday party that she has given away. He has

suffered more in the first five years in his life than

most people go through in a lifetime. He does not need the added post

traumatic stress that is inflicted by our schools.

So much for your idea of trying to work with the schools as you can

only help someone that wants to help themselves.

in Alvin

[Guest guest]

ABA is Applied Behavior Analysis. The definition being the study of

the science of behaviors. I would recommend that you buy

Foxx's book, Increasing Behaviors of Person's With Severe Mental

Retardation and Autism. After you read this one as it is very

important to increase the desired behaviors first. This explains how

to reinforce and when to reinforce and even has a section at the end

of each chapter so that you can test yourself. After you finish

studing this book, get the other book, Decreasing Behaviors of

Person's with Severe Mental Retardation and Autism. Both books are

very informative. I thought that my school had at least read some of

these books and that was a laugh.

If DD is having self abusive behaviors at home and at school she is

entitled to a BIP (Behavior Intervention Plan) I would insist that

the school use a Board Certified Behavior Analysts that deals with

your childs disability. Do not let them bring in someone that claims

to be a behavior specialist and does not have the credientials to

prove it. I get very livid when I read of abuse and self abuse is

caused by being positively reinforced.